Electric mail-carrier



G. JONES. DECD. z.M.1oNs.AnmN|sTRATRIx. ELECTRIC MAIL CARRIER.

APPLlcAloN FILED 1mm, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

31mm wIfoz 9m. kwam.

/l/IIIII I llflftlllllllllllllf G. JONES, DECD.

Z. M- JONES. ADMlNlSTRATRIX.

ELECTRIC MME CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 6| 1919. 1,358,557. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

muawtoz a@ @WM-@5m G. JONES, DEC'D.

z. M. muss. Aommsmmmx.

' ELECTRIC MAIL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MN. 6. 1919.

Patented NOV. 9,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Cltfouuu G. JONES, DEC'D. z M.1oNss.AuM|N|sTn/\rmx.

ELECTRIC MAIL CARRIER. y

APPucATmN FILED IAN. e, 191,9.

Patented N ov. 9, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED sTcrEs` PATENT OFFICE.

GENTRY Jonas, or nnnnousn, KENTUCKY; anaemia ivi. JoNns ADMINISTRATRIX or SAID GENTRY Jorrns, DEoEasED.

ELECTRIC MAIL-CARRIER.

[o all 107mm 'it may concern Be it known that I, @ENTRY Jonas, a citi- Zen oit the United States, residing at Bedhouse, in the county ot Madison and State oit Kentucky,l have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric ll/lail-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

rhis invention is an improved electric mail and parcel carrier especially adapted :tor use by those who live on rural mail routes and at some distance from such routes, the object ot the invention being to provide a mail and parcel system, which is electrically operated and which embodies means to auto# matically stop the car when the same reaches the end oi? the line and also embodies means operated and controlled by the car doors to reverse the car when the appropriate door opened and to enable the car to be started by merely operating a clutch releasing lever after the door has been closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved electric mail and parcel carrier system which utilizes ordinary telephone poles in its installation., which can be readily installed at small cost, which is reliable and eiiicient in opera-tion, is prac tically automatically controlled, and. is not likely to get out oi. order.

With the above and other objects in view. the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement oi devices hereinafter described and claimed In the accompanying drawings:

`Figure l.V is a vertical sectional view through the electric mail and parcel carrier constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the car partly in section, and the elevated track on which the same is mounted for operation.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the invention.

Fig. 4C is a fragmentary detail view oi' the motor. p

Fig. 5 is a detail view ot the switch mechanisrn. Y

Fig. fis a diagrammatic view.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the car mountedI upon `its track. p

The car or box 1 for carrying mail, or other matter, is here shown as cylindrical vin form and as provided with doors 2, 2a

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 6, 1919. Serial No. 269,878.

being provided, respectively with downwardly extending arms ll, al. `Spring fas tening devices 5 are employedto hold the doors in closed position and each door has a handle 6 atits upper side vto enable the door to be readily opened. i

' The car is mounted on an elevated track which comprises an upper rail 7 and a lower rail 8, said rails being secured and insulated 4from the outer ends of supports 9, 10, the said supports being bracket arms which are here shown as secured to suitable posts ll. The head of the upper rail 7 is formed by a conducting wire l2 and the head of the lower rail 8 is formed by a similar wire 13. Under the center or" the car is a` casing 14 in which an electricmotor, preferably a direct current motor, l5 is mounted, the motor shaft being indicated at 16 and projecting from one side ofthe casing andbeing pro vided with a miter gear 17. i The casing is provided with downwardly diverging arms 18 in which current collector wheels are mounted for rotation, said wheels being pe ripherally grooved and engagingthe lower conducting wire 13. Brackets 20 are secured on the upper side of the box or car and are provided witlrbearings for shafts 2l, each shaft having a worm gear 22 at its outer end and a peripherally grooved current collecting wheel 23 at its inner end, the wheels 23 bearing on the wire head l2 of the upper rail7, said wheels also being insulated as `at 24. The insulation between the rails 7, 8 and the supporting bracket arms 9, l0 is indicated at 25. A longitudinally arranged shaft 26 is also mounted in bearings in the brackets 2O and is provided at its ends with worms` 27 which engage the worm gears 22. At the center of said shaft is a initer gear 28.

A vertical shaft 29 is mounted in bearings 30 and has a mitergear 3l at its lower end which engages the gear 17 and', hence, said shaft is driven by the motor, as will `be understood. A Jfriction cone 32 is secured to the upper end of said shaft; A vertical shaft 33 is arranged above and in line with the shaft 29 and is mounted in suitable bear# ings 34 which are on one side of the box or car. At the upper end of the shaft 33 is a miter gear 35 which engages the gear 28. A hollow truste-conical clutch member 36 is splined on the lower portion of the shaft 33 and is held normally engaged with the friction cone 32 by a spring 37 so that the shaft 33 is normally secured tothe shaft 29 for rotation thereby, by the clutch Vwhich:

comprises the members 32, 36.

A line switch 38 is includedin thefcir.-v cuit with the motor and has a pivotall-y mounted bar 38l which is provided with a cam 38b on its underside near the free. end

and a downwardly extending arm 38 atl the pivoted end. n the upper' side of said bar, near thefree end, is an upwardlyextending arm 38d which has a stud 3f3f.V .j A contact arm 3Sg is pivoted at. 38h and has a roller V381'. T he terminals of said switch are indiouter end connected thereto by a joint`39),

Such joint enables said arm to turn in one direction, against the tension of a spring 39C.

Hangers 40 are at the. ends of the line, and

link rod 45 is when the car reaches either end of the line one of the levers strikes one kot the hangers and is turned thereby, as said lever passes said hanger a sufiicient distance to cause the arm of said stop lever to engage the stud 38f of the bar '38 and pivotaliy turn said bar to a sufficient extent and in the required direction to openA the linev switch andhence stop the operation ofthe motor and the movement of the ear. The joint and the spring permit the said stop lever arm to turn and clear the hanger, when the movement of the car is reversed.

A reversing switch 42 is also included in the circuit with the motor and has a reversing lever 43. Said lever has a stud or pin 44 which projects from one side thereof. A.

door 4as at 46 and is provided at the opporsite end with a slot 47 in which the stud 44 operates so that the said link rod is pivotally and slidably connected to the reversingswitch lever 44.A similar link rod 48 isy pivotally connected to the arm 5L ofthe door 5, asV at 49, has a slot 50 in which the said stud 44 operates, and has a downwardly curved arm 5l at its free end and in which is acurved slot 52. A linkV rod 53 is pivotally connected, as at 54, to the arm 38.c of the line switch bar 38', and has a slot 55 near its free end. Said end crossesl the curved arm 51.. A stud or pin 56 connectsV pivotally connected at. one end to the lower end'of the arm 4d1 of the vsupporting and slide trame or base 62, saidslide having a: segment cam 63 on its upper yside which enjoys and is slidable under-the 39liftthe clutch member 32 and thereby dis-V connect the car driving gears 35, 28, 27, 22 from the motor, as will be understood.l This occurs whenrthe iront door of the car is opened and according to the direction in which the car is to move.

To hold the member 57 in raised, unclutched position, l provide detent pin 67, which is forced by a springiiS into the opening 60, with said member 57 raised. The said pin is mounted for movement in a guide 69 on a bracket 70, said bracket being secured to a support 71, which extendsv downwardly from the boX or car. To release the detent from the member 57, andhence put the car in gear,`1 provide a bell crank`72, which ,is pivotallysupported at 7 3 and has one arm connected to the detent pin, The other arm of the bell crank is loosely pivotally connected to the inner ends of a pair of levers 74, 75, which extend to opposite ends oi the car and are mounted as shown.

In order to start the boX or car, itis only f' latter from the opening of the clutch 57,V

whereupon theJ spring 37 engages the clutch member 36 withthe clutch member 32 thereby connecting the driving gear of the car to the motor and, hence, the car is driven to the other end of the line. As the car reaches such terminal the stop hanger 40 at such terminal and one oi" the stop levers coact as before describedto openthe line switch so that the car is stopped andjautomatically controlled. The rear door can be opened without affecting the switch. op-

erating mechanism, this being permitted. by Y the slots 47, 50, as willl be understood. When the car thus stops at either end of the, line currentis switchedfon an' electro-magnetic impulse motor 58 which rings a signaling bell 459 Jfor an appropriate period ottime, usually one-halfof a minute. j

While I have herein shown and described i a preferred embodiment of my invention, I would have it understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion and construction of the several parts without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, I claim:

l. In an electric mail carrier system of the class described, an electric car having a line switch, a reversing switch, a door., and means to cause the door to operate said switches when the door is opened or closed.

2. In an electric mail carrier system of the class described, a car having a door, driving means including a clutch, and means operated by the door to move the clutch to disengaging position when the door is opened.

3. In an electric mail carrier system of the class described, a car having a door, driving means including a clutch, means operated by the door to move the clutch to disengaging position when the door is opened, and means to release the clutch when the door is closed.

4:. In an electric mail carrier system of the class described, an electric car having a switch and a stop lever to open the switch, said lever having a member yieldable in one direction, and relatively fixedv means arranged in the path of said yieldable member to engage the same and cause said lever to open the switch.

5. In an electric mail carrier system oi' the class described, a car having a line switch, a door operated reversing switch, means to open the line switch when the car reaches a terminal, and means to cause the reversing switch to close the line switch when the reversing switch is reversed.

6. In an electric mail carrier system oi the class described, a car, doors at the opposite ends oi' the car, a reversing switch having a movable member, and link rods each connecting one of the doors to said reversing switch member, and arranging each door for movement independently of said switch member, when the other door is closed.

7. In an electric mail carrier system of the class described, a car having a door, driving means for the car, a switch operatedby the door, and means also operated by the door, to put the car ont of gear.

8. In an electric mail carrier system of the class described,-a car, pivoted doors at opposite ends of the car and each having an arm, a reversing switch having a movable ele-y ment, link rods pivotally connected to the arms and each having a slot, and a pivot connecting said link rod to the said movable element and arranged for movement in the slots of said rods.

9. In an electric mail carrier system of the class described, a car, pivoted doors at opposite ends oi the car and each having an arm, a reversingswitch having a movable element, link rods pivotally connected to the arms and each having a slot, a pivot connecting said link rods to the said movable element and arranged for movement in the slots of said rods, driving means for the car, means operated by said movable member to put the car out of gear, and a line switch having a controlling member connected to and operated by one of said link rods.

lO. Inan electric mail carrier system of the class described, a car, pivoted doors at opposite ends of the car and each having an arm, a reversing switch having a movable element, link rods pivotally connected to the arms and each having a slot, a pivot connecting said link rods to the said movable element and arranged for movement in the slots of said rods, driving means for the car including a clutch member, a detent for the clutch member, means operated by the movable element of the reversing switch to move the clutch member to disengaged position, and means to release said switch member.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature'.

GENTRY JONES. 

